RICS 150

11 JUN 2018

Clifford Dann FRICS: Arbitration expert

Clifford Dann MBE, FRICS was a distinguished member of the surveying community and is best known for his work in the field of arbitration. He co-founded Arbrix, a group for surveyors with arbitration experience, and helped advocate for a new Arbitration Act.

Concerned at the lack of training for arbitrators, Clifford set up a number of training and refresher courses for those who wished to acquaint themselves with the law and practice of arbitration. This resulted in the creation of an RICS examination process in 1986, along with a forum for networking and training called Arbrix. Colleague and friend, Graham Chase praised Dann, saying he brought about a “total upheaval in the arbitration service provided by RICS”.

His interest in arbitration continued in the 1990s, when he helped advocate for a new Arbitration Act in the UK that came into force in 1996. The following year Arbrix held a special one day conference in London, dealing specifically with the new act and how it would have an impact on the surveying profession. As a result of his dedication to improving the arbitration process, RICS is now recognised as the leading training, qualification and appointing body for arbitrators in the built environment.

Outside of arbitration, Clifford was appointed the Honorary Treasurer of the Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy (CASLE) in 1995. While in this role, he took an interest in the global campaign for secure tenure, even addressing a UN general assembly session on the subject.

Clifford’s interest in the global campaign for secure tenure led him to found the Commonwealth Housing Trust, which became a registered charity in 2004 and has since helped fund housing work in Kenya and rebuild homes in Sri Lanka after the tsunami.

Clifford was appointed President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors from 1983-84 for his dedication to the surveying profession. Unfortunately Clifford passed in 2017; however his legacy lives on through his work at surveying firm, Clifford Dann Chartered Surveyors and Estate Agents and the Commonwealth Housing Trust.

Pride in the Profession

2018 marks the 150th anniversary of RICS. To celebrate this milestone, we've launched our Pride in the Profession initiative to showcase the significant and positive impact surveyors have made to society.

The initiative is a great chance for all of us to promote our profession by demonstrating how varied and rewarding a surveying career can be.

We've already received a great many nominations of exceptional surveyors from RICS members around the world that you can read about below, but we need more.